Canadian Cities Honour World Falun Dafa Day With Flag-Raising Ceremonies

Cities across Canada are celebrating the 31st anniversary of World Falun Dafa Day, which falls on May 13, and the spiritual practice’s moral principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance with flag-raising ceremonies and the illumination of local landmarks.

Many of the events were attended by local politicians and other VIPs.

“Falun Dafa is good, Falun Dafa hao,” Conservative MP John Brassard for Barrie–Innisfil, said at a flag-raising ceremony in Barrie on May 13.

“This year in particular brings up even more importance to ’truthfulness to compassion, and tolerance.' We’re seeing threats in this country as a result of the Beijing communist regime. You know, people come to this country to escape persecution, they come here for religious freedom, they come here to be able to live their lives and to provide opportunity for their family. And so we have to remain diligent to those threats that we’re seeing in this country,” he said.

Brassard added: “On behalf of myself and the Leader of our Conservative Party of Canada, the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, it’s a great honour and privilege to be here today among you to celebrate Falun Dafa Day.”

Barrie city councillor Nigussie Nigussie (centre L), Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall (centre), and Conservative MP John Brassard (centre R) pose with hosts and Falun Dafa practitioners during a World Falun Dafa Day flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., on May 13, 2023. The Epoch Times

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, who also spoke at the event, said Canada is “a beacon of light around the world, for freedom, for hope, for religious freedom, for opportunity.”

“Days like today will help tell all the residents who are walking around here that there is an issue that exists in terms of persecution of your followers. And it also says that an incredible group of people who follow truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance,” he said.

At least 16 cities and towns across the country are holding flag-raising ceremonies or light up landmarks in honour of the occasion.

At the flag-raising at city hall in Hamilton, Ontario, on May 13, city councillor Esther Pauls said she’s thankful Canada has religious freedom as some Falun Dafa practitioners who live here came to the country as refugees from China.

“These freedoms are extended to all Canadians, [including those] who engage in the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, a cultivation practice guided by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. I love that—compassion, truthfulness, that’s what it’s all about,” she said.

“So today, to the Falun Dafa community in Hamilton and around the world, we underscore our freedom of religious expression by raising the flag outside city hall, as well as lighting up the letters that spell Hamilton outside city hall in blue, yellow, and purple.”

On May 1, the Town of Milton, Ontario, raised the Falun Dafa flag outside town hall, with Mayor Gord Krantz proclaiming May as Falun Dafa Month.

“Falun Dafa has received worldwide recognition with its traditional Chinese self-improvement system that guides people to mental, moral & physical well being,” the Milton municipal government said on its official Twitter account.

A Falun Dafa flag flies outside city hall in Hamilton, Ont., on May 11, 2023. Courtesy of Falun Dafa Association of Canada

A Falun Dafa flag flies outside town hall in Milton, Ont., on May 1, 2023. Courtesy of Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is practised by millions of people in over 110 countries worldwide. The practice involves a set of five meditative exercises and moral teachings that emphasize improving one’s character. After its introduction in China on May 13, 1992, the practice grew rapidly largely due to its health benefits, and by 1999 it had an estimated 70 million to 100 million adherents.

Several cities and townships in Ontario have raised flags or lit up landmarks to mark Falun Dafa Day, including Amherstburg, Brock, Cornwall, Cambridge, Orangeville, Orillia, Scugog, Pembroke, and Hamilton. More cities in Ontario and others in British Columbia and Saskatchewan will follow in the coming week.

A Falun Dafa flag flies over the Amherstburg municipal building on April 30, 2023. Courtesy of Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Michael Prue (centre front), Mayor of Amherstburg, Ont., and several city officials learn the Falun Dafa exercises at a flag-raising ceremony outside of the municipal building on April 30, 2023. The officials include councillor Linden Crain (back L), Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb (back 3rd L), and councillor Molly Allaire (back 5th L). The Epoch Times

A Falun Dafa flag flies outside town hall in Orangeville, Ont., on May 12, 2023. Courtesy of Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Falun Gong adherents in a number of cities in the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong are celebrating the anniversary with parades, dances, and traditional Chinese dance and music. Several cities in Canada also held parades and celebratory events ahead of May 13.

Although Falun Gong is practised worldwide, it remains banned in China by the authoritarian regime in Beijing. Former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin viewed Falun Gong’s popularity as a threat to the regime’s rule, and in July 1992 launched a persecution campaign with the intention of eradicating the practice. The campaign, which continues today, involves the arbitrary incarceration, torture, brainwashing, and sexual abuse of Falun Gong adherents, as well as the live harvesting of their organs to supply China’s lucrative transplant industry.

Michael Prue, mayor of Amherstburg and longtime advocate of Falun Gong, condemned the brutality of the CCP and expressed concerns about the regime extending repression to Canada.

“About 25 years ago, I became aware of what was happening to the Falun Gong in China, I became aware of what was happening and what the Chinese government was starting to do to persecute people who only believed in simple truth,” he said at the town’s flag-raising event on May 10.

“The world needs to know about this, and they need to know the brutality with which people who practice a simple faith in China were being treated,” he added. “One day, they will stop the persecution; one day, the world will know that [Falun Gong] is an effort [for] people to better themselves.”

A Falun Dafa flag flies outside city hall in Cambridge, Ont., on May 8, 2023. Courtesy of Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Greetings

Officials from various levels of government in Canada have sent greetings to mark the 31st anniversary of World Falun Dafa Day. Over a dozen MPs from the Conservative, Liberal, and Green Parties sent letters or videos of greetings, including Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party. Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty and Premier Scott Moe also sent their greetings.

Liberal MP Judy Sgro, who sent her greetings by video, said “the beauty and power of Falun Dafa has touched the lives of millions of people around the world, including Canada.”

“Falun Dafa has helped people find inner peace, balance, and a deeper sense of purpose,” said Sgro, the co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong.

“Its teachings have inspired countless individuals to overcome physical and emotional challenges, to cultivate their hearts and their minds, and to live with greater kindness. Its message of spiritual growth and enlightenment continues to resonate with people of all backgrounds and beliefs.”

Conservative MP Dan Muys also congratulated Falun Dafa practitioners by video.

“The values of Falun Dafa—compassion, truthfulness, forbearance—absolutely enrich Canada and the world,” he said.

A total of 36 cities and municipalities in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan also sent letters of greeting.

In Alberta, greetings were sent from the City of Calgary, the City of Lloydminster, the City of Crowsnest Pass, the City of Red Deer, the Town of Coaldale, the Town of Banff, and the Town of Pincher Creek.

In British Columbia, greetings came from the City of New Westminster, the City of White Rock, the District of West Vancouver, the City of Nanaimo, the City of Mission, the District of Saanich, the City of Chilliwack, the City of Maple Ridge, the City of Duncan, the City of Port Coquitlam, and the Township of Langley.

In Ontario, greetings were sent from the Town of LaSalle, the City of Milton, the City of Orillia, the Town of Parry Sound, the Township of Scugog, the City of London, the City of Leamington, the Township of Springwater, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the City of Fredericton, the Deputy Mayor of Toronto, the Town of Amherstburg, the Township of Brock, and the Town of Tecumseh.

In Saskatchewan, the City of Regina and the City of Saskatoon issued greetings.

Several provincial and municipal officials also extended their greetings. City councillors Andre Chabot, James Pasternak, and Jocelyn Blondin were among those who sent their regards, while legislative assembly members Alana Ross, Ron Schuler, and Christine Tell, and provincial parliament members Peter Bethlenfalvy, Rudy Cuzzetto, and Brian Riddell also issued messages to mark the historic day.